Copyright © 2005 Geoffrey Alan Washburn
Using the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
(I usually find this as “heavy whipping cream”.)
2/3 cup (150 grams) sugar
(1/3 cup (75 grams) will be used in the custard, other half will be used for the crust.)
2 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
1 teaspoon (10 ml) vanilla extract
fresh seasonal fruit
(I find raspberries are especially good.)
Obtain 4 ramekins that will hold approximately 4 ounces (120 ml). A baking dish that can hold the ramekins with room to spare, a saucepan, and a medium bowl.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
Begin boiling enough water to fill your baking dish halfway.
In the saucepan combine the heavy cream and 1/3 cup (75 grams) sugar.
Put the saucepan under medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form around the edges of the saucepan. This will take approximately 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl combine the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and light.
Slowly pour the heated cream from the saucepan into the egg yolk mixture, a little at a time. Beat continuously until well blended.
Divide the resulting mixture into the 4 ramekins.
Arrange the ramekins in the baking dish and carefully fill the dish halfway up the side with the boiling water.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are set. This will generally take around 25 minutes.
Carefully remove the ramekins from baking dish and chill for 2-3 hours at least.
Divide the remaining 1/3 cup (75 grams) of sugar among the tops of the custards.
Using a torch (I use a small butane torch) heat the top of the custards, moving the flame continuously over the surface of each with a circular motion. Stop when the sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly.
Top the custards with the fresh fruit and serve.
